New Website!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! But I have moved and there is a lot more fun stuff happening here!

Hope you enjoy the new page 🙂

Gotta keep running on the mind!

I hope your running is going well! It just occurred to me, however, that running is still probably only a small blip on your radar.

I want to give you some great running outlets that you can learn from and gain more valuable tips. While everything I have to offer here can be used for everyone, sometimes it helps to get more information or other perspectives!

Week 2: Keep on keepin’ on

Week 2, and hopefully you have at least 4 days of running behind you! Even if you weren’t able to do a full 1.5 miles, I hope that you got out and tried.

Week 2 won’t be much different. Becoming a good runner, or even someone who enjoys running, takes a long time. When I first started, I ran about 2 miles every time for at least a month. However, I later learned that our bodies are capable of much more than we think or even know, so I am confident you will be able to hit your goal this week!

Week 2 Goal: 4 runs, at least one of them 2 miles.

Superbowl Sunday! Work it out like a football player

Superbowl is finally here!! Aaaand, second to Thanksgiving, it’s the most popular eating day in our country. What does that mean? You better be getting a run in before settling down with a plate of wings and an ice cold beer!

Today, if you don’t feel like getting in a long run, consider getting your workout on…. like a football player!

For the players to run in a touchdown, they have to do some serious conditioning. Building your leg muscles is important to endure a long run.

Some workouts to consider:

• Grapevine
• Jump squats
• Quick sprints
• Jumping jacks
• High knees

The trick here is to do these moves in quick bursts, about 30 seconds a piece, giving it everything you have throughout each move. Do them back to back, with 30 seconds of rest between finishing the full routine and starting another.

Before you decide to take the day off all together, consider what it will take to burn off your football eats:

• A plate of nachos: Walking for 5 hours and 40 minutes
• 3 Chicken wings: 3 miles of running
• A single craft beer: 12 minutes of running or 29 minutes of walking

I hope everyone has a great Superbowl Sunday!

Get your run or workout in before the game and snack easy afterwards!

Have fun with your run this weekend

The weekend is here, you’re tired from a long week of work and don’t want to get out for a run. However, staying on track throughout the weekend is very important. Not to mention this weekend, with super bowl munchies on Sunday. Most weekends, though, we unintentionally end up eating significantly more calories than during the week. In an article from MSNBC, dietitian Kim Gorman said, “Many dieters feels as though they’re dieting all the time but not losing weight, when, in fact, they’re creating a calorie deficit Monday through Friday but filling it — and more — during the weekend.”

Come On A Run With Me!

Good afternoon fellow runners! Although I am in Cali and you are…. well, not with me at 6am when I’m out running, I decided to take you with me today! That’s right, I got a little funky this morning and took the cam.

These picture represent some of my motivation for running at o’dark thirty. Gorgeous sunrises and ocean views are enough to get me out of bed for a 10k before work!! So, come along 🙂

I hope you enjoy this run as much as the runs you’ve had all week!

Thursday Morning Inspiration

I hope everyone got out for a run yesterday, or plans to today! While only you can get your butt out of bed and go, some motivation can’t hurt!

Goodluck, today!

Remember, the hardest part is getting started!

Music: A runner’s best friend

Now that you’re ready to run, you need to be equipped with the necessary tools to get you through the first mile! When I say tools I mean music. Although I have previously posted about my playlist and music choice, I wanted to talk a bit more in depth about it because this is crucial to having a successful run. There are a couple ways to decide what your music choice should be.

If you want: To Be Fast

If you need music that will keep you at a faster pace, I would suggest a few things:

Girl Talk
Passion Pit
Any kind of techno
Top 40’s
Kelly Clarkson’s new album, Stronger — the perfect running album.

A playlist I used a lot included:

All Night Long, AC/DC
La La, Ashlee Simpson
Cali Girl, Ballyhoo
Survivor, Destiny’s Child
Bootylicious, Destiny’s Child
Put A Ring On It, Beyonce
Play Your Part, Girl Talk
Give Me A Beat, Girl Talk
Use Somebody, Kings of Leon
Work, Kelly Rowland
Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5
If you want: To Distract

If you are looking for music to distract you from your burning legs or the fact that you are running in the first place, you want to choose music that you look forward to listening to. For a long time I would listen to top40’s; music that made me run faster. One day I thought, man I would really like to run a lot more if I was listening to so and so the whole time.

Suddenly it dawned on me… why can’t I?? I had always thought running music should be fast. When I began listening to music that I would choose in the car, or hanging aroung the apartment, I started to like my runs a lot more.

• Choose a mix of slow and fast songs. Because our bodies do react to the beat of the song, switching it up will keep you at a good pace.
  My current playlist includes: Bruno Mars, Gavin Degraw, Sara Bareillas, Common, The Black Keys, and Kanye West; quite the mix.

To Match BPM

There have been a variety of sites coming out that offer running playlists based on the song’s BPM (beats per minute). Accoding to WomensHealth, your BPM “sweet spot” is between 120 and 140.

• To find your personal BPM, or target heart rate, you can subtract your age from 220, according to webMD. That will tell you your resting heart rate. Your active heart rate should be about 75% of that.
• However, you can find your active target heart rate as well by taking your pulse in the middle of a workout, for 10 seconds. Then, multiply that number by 6. This is a great way to get music that is suited exactly for your workouts.
• To get this music, you should check out Runningmusicmix.com. They have great options and fun playlists.

As with everything I tell you, make it work for yourself. What works for me could be very different from what works for you. Either way, find music that will motivate you, and push you through to the finish!

 

Week One: Start Slow

The biggest mistake people make when trying to get into a running routine is too much, too fast. The key to becoming a better runner is to start slow; in both distance and speed.

*Goal for week one: Run 1.5 miles, 4 times this week. (Wed-Wed)

Rethink. Recreate. Realize.

When it comes to eating healthy, I am no stranger to pizza and ice cream. I am also a non-intentional practicer of mindless eating. What can I say, I like my food!

Now that I sit in a cubicle for 8 hours a day, I want to make sure I’m staying on track and making the best food choices whenever possible. I find that I’ve had to re-think the way I see food, when my body needs it, and why. This has helped shape some better eating habits my way.